The Battle of Betrayal
by SportzGurl
Summary: Instead of going to become a knight like planned, Alanna goes to the convent instead. When she goes to find a husband, she accidently overhears a plan. A plan that can ruin Tortall forever...A story of Suspense, Action, Betrayal, and Love. R/R!!
1. Default Chapter

Ch. 1: Lady Alanna  
  
Alanna stood in front of Mistress Kindell hardly paying attention to what she was saying. "You're a disgrace to this convent young lady."  
  
'Blah, blah, blah, blah. There she goes off on another lecture. Hmmm, I wonder what Thom's doing right now. He's so lucky! He's gone to be a knight while I'm stuck here, in this dreadful place.' Alanna thought.  
  
"And when you go to the palace tomorrow,"  
  
"What!? I'm going to the palace tomorrow?" Alanna interrupted clearly surprised.  
  
"Of course! You didn't think we were going to have you sit here your whole life and be an old maid. Besides, the faster you leave this place, the happier we'll be!"  
  
Alanna rolled her eyes. 'They may send me off to find a husband, but that'll never happen. I'll just go there to practice my fighting and see Thom. I bet I can still beat him!'  
  
"Like I was saying before, if you don't have the correct manners and attitude, no man will ever want to marry you."  
  
Alanna sighed. She couldn't wait to get out of this horrid place and away from Mistress Kindell!  
  
*****  
  
Thom dropped his sword in defeat. All of his friends burst out laughing. "Good job Thom!" Raoul shouted trying hard to control his laughter.  
  
"OK, shut up! You know I'm not talented at sword's play!" He glared at his opponent, a 4-½ foot tall page grinning up at him. "You better run off now before I hurt you."  
  
"It's okay Thom, maybe next time you'll be able to beat that little man." Jon said grinning.  
  
Red faced and embarrassed, Thom quickly walked away. 'Alanna was always better at this stuff than I was! I should've agreed to that plan of hers!' he muttered to himself.  
  
Thom hurried to his room. He had just enough time to practice his Gift before it was time for the ball.  
  
*****  
  
Prince Jonathan, Gary, Raoul, and Alex were all standing at a corner of the ballroom talking about the events that had happened that day. "I feel bad for Thom," Gary said, "I doesn't help his ego much that a page beat him at swords play!"  
  
Raoul laughed, "But you have to admit that it was hilarious." Alex looked up thoughtful, "I heard today that there will be new ladies coming to the ball tonight."  
  
"Maybe some of them will actually have personalities!" Jon responded. "I'm tired of talking to ladies that talk about nothingness!"  
  
All the men laughed at this. It was true. Most of the ladies only talked about the weather, their dress, and other boring things.  
  
A few minutes past, when the knights heard a servant call out "Attention, attention we are introducing the women that have arrived here from the convent. Lady Delia of Eldorne!"  
  
"She's a beauty alright." Gary whispered admiring the shapely woman as she daintily put her hand on her escort's arm.  
  
"Lady Arianna of Gwinington!"  
  
Lady Arianna wasn't a beauty but she wasn't terrible looking either. She had dirty blonde hair and simple brown eyes. "And lastly, Lady Alanna of Trebond."  
  
Jon watched as a lady with flaming red hair and bright purple eyes walked in. Ringlets were hanging down from bun framing her face. She had on a green dress that was exquisite and complimented the curves of her slender body.  
  
"Thom never told us his sister was a goddess!" Raoul whispered in awe. "She's gorgeous!"  
  
Jon's eyes were still on Lady Alanna. A man had offered out his arm, which she walked past pretending she didn't see it. She walked down the stairs and was immediately surrounded by men. She looked past them and suddenly yelled out, "Thom!" She pushed her way through her admirers and ran towards Thom and gave him a hug. She rolled her eyes at something Thom had said. 'She looks like she has some attitude in her.' Jon thought clearly liking what he saw.  
  
*****  
  
Alanna was furious! Not only wouldn't Mistress Kindell let her bring her breeches, but she also made Alanna bring dresses. Tight dresses with low necklines! She had walked into the ballroom feeling self conscious and annoyed. Some dumb headed guy offered to escort her down the stairs when she was capable of walking down it HERSELF. She just pushed past him saying, "I'm not a helpless lady, I don't need you to escort me down these silly stairs!"  
  
That's when she spotted Thom. She had run to him and gave him a hug.  
  
"You look so different! So tall and your growing a beard!" Alanna exclaimed touching his beard.  
  
Thom chuckled. "And look at you! All grown up and turned into a beautiful lady!"  
  
Alanna rolled her eyes. "Whatever!"  
  
"I'm serious! Look at all these guys staring at you!"  
  
That was the first time Alanna noticed the stares. She blushed slightly. Suddenly four men walked up. One with black curly hair and black eyes punched Thom in the arm. "Thom, would you like to introduce us to your sister?"  
  
Thom laughed. "Alanna, this is Raoul of Goldenlake, Gareth of Naxen, also known as Gary, Alexander of Tirragen, Alex, and the prince, Jonathan of Conte. And this is Lady Alanna of Trebond, my lovely twin sister! Well I have to go back to my serving duty. Have fun Alanna!"  
  
'Like I could!' Alanna thought to herself.  
  
She curtsied to the men and was prepared to walk away when she heard a voice say, "Lady Alanna, would you like to dance." A slow song was playing and she didn't really want to, but it was polite to accept an offer. She turned and found that the prince had asked her. She curtsied again and said, "Of course your highness."  
  
They walked onto the dance floor and Jon held her close. "So, are you enjoying your stay at the palace?" Jon asked her.  
  
"May I be blunt?"  
  
"Of course!" Jon said clearly surprised.  
  
"There are too many self absorbed conceited men here who think that all they have to do to get a lady's attention is to simply smile at them. It gets terribly annoying and I swear that the next man who smiles at me and thinks I'll fall head over heels in love with them, I will punch his lights out!"  
  
Jon chuckled. This Trebond girl definitely wasn't like any normal lady. She had some fire to her!  
  
"I'm sorry you think that way, Lady Alanna."  
  
She blushed, "Highness, just call me Alanna. I don't like all that Lady stuff."  
  
"I'll call you Alanna if you stop calling me highness. Jon will do just fine."  
  
Alanna nodded. It was the end of the song and she thanked the prince and walked away. Jon stared after her. 'She's amazing' he thought, 'Simply stunning.'  
  
A/N- So did you like it?? R/R please!! I'd like to know what u think of it so far! No flames please. 


	2. A Midnight Walk

**Hey Everybody!! Thanx for the reviews!! I appreciate them a lot. Anywayz, the last chapter was just introducing characters and stuff, so I hope I didn't bore u too much! A/N- Before I forget, these characters do not belong to me, they belong to Ms. Tamora Pierce. Basically all the characters that u don't recognize are mine. Thanx!!**  
  
Ch. 2: A Midnight Walk  
  
That night, Alanna had trouble sleeping. She was tossing and turning in her bed and after ten minutes or so, she gave up. She quietly got out of bed and slipped her old blue robe over her nightgown. She opened the door a slipped out.  
  
The hallway was dark and the moonlight cast weird shadows. Pulling her robe tighter around her, the young woman walked in the general direction of the garden. 'Maybe some fresh air will help.' She thought to herself. She strolled quietly past a slightly cracked door and paid little attention to the voices that she heard inside. Alanna was just about out of hearing distance of the voices when she heard something about Thom. She paused and stealthily crept back towards the door and leaned against the wall to listen.  
  
"I'm telling you Sir! Thom could easily challenge you in a sorcerer's match! I've seen his power and it is unbelievably strong!"  
  
"Nonsense Alex. I am one of the greatest sorcerers alive...no I AM the greatest sorcerer alive. I sent the Sweating Sickness here all the way from Carthak to many people here in Tortall. I made all the healers weak, so no one could possibly help Prince Jonathan. He would have DIED if it weren't for that stupid boy!  
  
Alanna gasped when she heard this. She put her hand up to her mouth in disbelief. She knew that Thom had healed the Prince from the sickness, but she didn't know that someone had tried to kill him!  
  
"Now tell me Alex. Can Thom of Trebond really do all that?" the voice sounded angry.  
  
Alanna still didn't know whom it belonged to.  
  
"Be ready Alex. Do all the things I tell you to do, but if you fail, your head will be on a platter in my room."  
  
"I will not fail you milord."  
  
"You better not."  
  
"Oh and Alex, why don't you kill Thom. That way, he'll be out of the way and we won't have to worry about him."  
  
Alex chuckled, "My pleasure."  
  
"By next midwinter, the king, queen, and our dear 'ol prince will be dead and I will rule Tortall!" the man laughed evilly sending chills up Alanna's spine.  
  
"Tomorrow at sundown the prince and Thom will be dead. We'll make it look like they killed each other. Isn't that right Alex?"  
  
"That's correct."  
  
Alanna could hardly believe what she was hearing! This man was talking about taking over Tortall by killing the royal family...and her brother!  
  
"And Alex, since you have been so faithful and helpful to..." the voice paused.  
  
"Is something the matter milord?"  
  
The voice responded coldly. "Someone's outside our door... listening."  
  
**Ooooh!! Cliff hanger (I think)!! I hope u guyz liked this chapter because I had to rewrite it!! I had just finished it when my brother froze my computer!! I was just about to save it 2!! (that sucked big time) I hope this chapter wasn't boring. So now all u have to do is click on the little button that says Click Here to Submit a Review and tell me what you think!! Thanx!!  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	3. The Chase

**Hey Everybody!! I finally decided to sit down and update this. I've been meaning to update this for a long time, but never found the time to actually do it. Anywayz, if I remember correctly, I left y'all with a cliff hanger!! Ooh, mean me! Lol. Well, what're u reading this for?? Start the Chapter!!  
  
The Chase  
  
When Alanna realized they were talking about her, the blood quickly drained from her face. She had to hide! She quickly rounded the corner running hard. She heard footsteps behind her, getting louder. She panicked and turned another corner. A dead end. Her pulse sped up, thinking it was the end of her, when she saw it. The perfect place to hide.  
  
***********************  
  
Alex looked around. 'Where did that blasted person run off to?' He mentally kicked himself for not running faster. The corridors were dark, so it was hard to see who the eavesdropper was. He knew that if he didn't find the person, he'd be in trouble with Roger; and he did NOT want to be on Roger's bad side.  
  
He rapidly turned the corner and looked around. It was a dead end. He saw a piano, a window, and curtains. He smiled evilly, walking slowly toward the green velvet curtains. He reached his arm out and swiftly pulled the curtains open. He grunted angrily when he found nothing. He must've turned a wrong corner. He ran and backtracked his steps knowing that it was now very unlikely to find the person he was looking for.  
  
**************************  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Alanna looked down from the chandelier and watched Alex leave. 'That was close,' Alanna thought. 'Too close.' She was grateful that she wasn't afraid of heights and could climb fast and easily. She held onto the ledge of the window and eased herself down onto the piano and to the ground.  
  
She looked cautiously around the corner, just in case. Knowing that Alex was gone, she stepped around the corner and went straight to Thom's room. She glanced around, making sure no one was there. She raised her knuckles to the door and quietly knocked. She waited for a brief moment, when the door eased open.  
  
All the emotions she had caught up with her and in tears she blindly threw her arms around the person who opened the door, thinking it was Thom. She looked up and was surprised when she saw the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen looking down at her, confused and worried.  
  
TBC  
  
**So what'd y'all think?? Sorry it was kinda short, I'll write more next time. Send me a review and tell me what u think!!**  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	4. Jon

**Happy New Years Everybody!!**  
  
Alanna stood for a moment mesmerized by the person's eyes. When she realized it belonged to Jon, she quickly snapped out of it. "S-Sorry, I th- thought you were Thom," she hiccuped, trying to pull away.  
  
Jon only tightened his hold on her, not letting her go. "What's wrong Alanna?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Where's Thom? I n-need to talk to him. It's urgent."  
  
Looking concerned Jon turned around still keeping one arm around Alanna. "Thom! Come here!"  
  
Alanna feeling dreadfully uncomfortable quickly slipped away from Jon's grasp. She smoothed her robe down feeling embarrassed. If her headmistress saw her now, she'd have a heart attack!  
  
"Thom?" Jon asked again. "Here, come in. He's probably in the back somewhere working on a new spell. You know how your brother can be sometimes."  
  
Alanna didn't want to dilly dally by the door, so she rapidly pushed past Jon and headed towards the back room. Jon, looking confused, shrugged his shoulders and followed her.  
  
Alanna pushed open the wooden, slightly crooked, door in one sudden motion. Thom, who was bent over looking intently at his book, jumped in surprise.  
  
"Thom!" Alanna cried out.  
  
"Alanna? Alanna what are you doing here; it's so late! You woke the prince didn't you?"  
  
He saw her guilty expression and laughed. "It's ok.he deserved it after what he did to me today!"  
  
Jon walked in amused, "I don't know what you're talking about Thom."  
  
Thom just glared at the prince in disgust. Alanna stood confused; then suddenly her temper got the better of her. "Ok! Shut Up! I don't find this amusing."  
  
Thom started laughing at his sister's temper, but then quieted when he saw the expression on her face. He grasped both of her hands and sat her down in a chair, standing in front of her. "Alanna, calm down and tell us what's wrong."  
  
Jon stood right next to Thom wearing the same concerned expression. Alanna took a deep breath and tried to get some sound out of her mouth, but nothing came out. She tried again, "I..I." She started to tremble as she recounted the events in her head.  
  
"Are you ok Alanna? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"  
  
Alanna shook her head and told herself that she had to be strong. If she was to become a warrior maiden someday, she can't be acting like some helpless scared girl. She stuck her chin out defiantly and began her tale. "It all started when I couldn't sleep. I gave up and went on a walk and.. and.. I walked past an open door. I heard voices. I heard them mention Thom's name and."  
  
Suddenly an abrupt knock sounded at the door, interrupting Alanna. Thom held his finger up signaling her to hold on. He quickly walked to the door and opened it, completely ignorant and unprepared for what he was about to see..  
  
**OK!! So what'd ya'll think?? R&R this and I'll try to update soon!**  
  
~*~SportzGurl~*~ 


	5. Faithful

Wow~ Its been awhile hasn't it? Sorry, I just got involved in my other 2 stories and had writer's block on this one. Anywho, thank you ALL for the reviews! And im planning to have a scheduled time each wk when I update this story, so yall don't have to wait another what? 5 months for an update. I'll probably decide what day to update this when I finish this chapter.  
  
Ch. 5: Faithful  
  
As the door flung open, all that was in the hallway was the flickering of the candles. Thom looked around wearily and shrugged. He was about to close the door when something small and black flew into the room knocking the redheaded man over. He yelped as he was rammed onto Jon's bed and flipped over it landing crumpled up on the ground. Confused, but also amused, Alanna reached down and picked up the small meowing kitten off the floor. It immediately started to purr happily.  
  
"ALANNA! What IS that blasted thing?!" yelled Thom panicked.  
  
"Just a little kitten, brother. Cute little thing it is!"  
  
Thom snorted. "You call THAT cute! It nearly killed me!"  
  
Jon was doubled over and in the midst of his laughter, when he abruptly stopped. "Blazes, Alanna! Purple lamps! Just like you and Thom!"  
  
Alanna lifted the kitten higher in the air to get a good look at its eyes. They were indeed a brilliant shade of violet like her own. "It's so thin. It doesn't appear to have a home..." she trailed off.  
  
"No! NO! That thing is evil! Smitten with a curse it is!" Thom said angrily.  
  
"Oh Thom, you're just upset because this little thing knocked you over onto the floor."  
  
Jon's laughter started up again.  
  
"Oh shut it Jon. It's not funny!"  
  
The prince only laughed harder. "You should've seen the look on your face!" he managed to chuckle out.  
  
Alanna smiled slightly. "What do you think I should call him?" She asked after she found out it was a male.  
  
"How about Killer." Thom said sarcastically.  
  
"Or how about Champion." "I rather like Faithful." Alanna said aloud. The kitten's purr intensified. "Yes, Faithful it is then!"  
  
Thom stood up glaring at the little kitten and locked the door tightly. "This door is staying locked. No way is another one of THOSE getting in here!"  
  
Jon leaned is head back. "Ahh, that was refreshing. I haven't laughed that much since. . . since. . . Oh yes, when that page beat you this afternoon Thom!"  
  
Alanna laughed aloud, "A page Thom!?"  
  
"Don't even start," Thom muttered giving them both dirty looks.  
  
"C'mon Thom, we're only teasing you a bit." Jon said amused.  
  
Thom shrugged, but looked over at Alanna. "You came here for a reason. What was that you were trying to tell us when before we were RUDELY interrupted." He said glaring at Faithful. The kitten seemed to smile and continued purring. "How did that thing even knock anyways?"  
  
After Thom had reminded her why she was there, her heart dropped. She had briefly forgotten. The panic began to come back quickly. She opened her mouth to continue the story where she left off, but a meow cut her off.  
  
Not yet. Now is not the time. Trust me.  
  
Alanna looked down in surprise.  
  
"Did you just...did you guys just hear..."  
  
Only you can understand me. They can not until I allow them to.  
  
"Where did you come from?"  
  
A place you've never been before.  
  
Thom looked at Jon confused. "Is she talking to the cat?" he asked under his breath so only Jon can hear.  
  
"That's the way it looks."  
  
Thom turned back to his twin. "Alanna, sister dear, are you ok? Are you, uhh, talking to that cat?"  
  
"Why don't you ask him yourself Thom."  
  
Faithful just looked up at Thom and growled under his breath.  
  
"Blasted thing! It doesn't matter right now. What were you going to tell us?"  
  
"It's not a matter of importance anymore right now. Just watch your back Thom. You too Jon." And with that she stood and exited the door with her cat on her shoulder.  
  
The prince turned to his squire. "What was all that about?"  
  
"I don't know," Thom responded. "Maybe it was some kind of lady thing."  
  
Jonathon of Conte shook his head, "I don't think I could ever understand women. Especially not that one. . . ." he trailed off in a dreamy voice.  
  
Thom only rolled his eyes.  
  
A/N: *phew* Done w/that chapter! Ok, I've decided to update this story every Friday  
  
Here's the schedule:  
  
A Living Nightmare (A HP fic): Sunday Silent Stormers (my other T. Pierce fic): Wednesday Battle of Betrayal: Friday  
  
So come back next Friday for an update! Review Please! ~*~SportzGurl~*~ 


	6. Jon's Challenge

*Hmmm 11:37 pm on a Friday night. I have exactly 23 min to reach my deadline.. :)*  
  
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Me: Thank you!  
  
Lady Rhian: sorry about not updating SS this Wed. Im takin driver's ed and it's a killer! I'll be sure to get the next chapter up soon though! :)  
  
Quistis-Im: Thanx for being a faithful reader! If u have anymore questions email me!  
  
Truth-Setter: Wow! I get 4 excellents and a brilliant! I feel so special!!  
  
LaBella4: Thnx! I hope different is good.  
  
Sasha: Yay! It wasn't that long of a wait.I don't think.  
  
Emerald Eyes: Oops! Did I say Jon has black eyes?! I meant blue, I'll have to check and fix it later. Thanx for pointing it out!  
  
~#Person#~ Ok! Ok! Ok! :)  
  
Xelena: Glad u enjoyed it!  
  
******************************  
  
~*~ Now, the chapter u've all been waiting for. (hehe jk)  
  
Ch. 6: Jon's Challenge  
  
Alanna stealthily went back to her room at a quick pace with Faithful following close behind. Once she was safely in the room, she bolted the lock on the door tightly. She was still uptight from the close encounter, but she figured that's normal for what she went through.  
  
Go to bed, Faithful advised. We don't want you getting sick.  
  
Alanna jumped slightly, startled. She still wasn't used to a talking cat. "O...Okay. But can you explain,"  
  
Later, in the morning. Faithful interrupted. And with that he jumped up on her bed, curled up, and went to sleep.  
  
Shaking her head wearily, Alanna crawled into bed, beside the sleeping cat. She extinguished her lamp, leaving the room in complete darkness, and tried to fall asleep. Minutes later, the young maiden began to get increasingly aggravated when sleep wouldn't come. She just couldn't get that cold voice out of her head!! That devious plot kept repeating itself over and over leaving an imprint in her skull.  
  
'I have to think of something happy that'll put me to sleep.' Alanna thought. She began counting sheep. '1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep..4 Jons, 5 Jons.' Before she knew it, she subconsciously transformed the jumping sheep into the very image of the prince and began to drift of into Dreamland.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~* The sound of a fist pounding on her door awakened Alanna the next morning.  
  
"Alanna, open the door THIS instant!" yelled a shrilly voice. Alanna groaned and groggily pulled herself out of her comfortable bed and made her way slowly to the door. She opened it a crack to find a very impatient Delia.  
  
"Finally," Delia burst out shoving past the door and the startled redhead.  
  
"I was wondering if I could borrow. . . Ah! Here it is!" the brunette said triumphantly, pulling out a maroon dress with lace from the closet. "It'll go PERFECT with my new ear bobs and face paint!" She shoved past Alanna again and slammed the door soundly.  
  
Alanna stood there stunned for a few seconds when she heard an amused meow.  
  
MITHROS! Who, or should I say, WHAT in the world was THAT?  
  
"Delia of Eldorne, another maiden from the Convent."  
  
Humans are odd creatures.  
  
The young woman shook her head smiling and began to get ready for the day looking forward to seeing her brother and OTHER certain people.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jon woke up early that morning so he could catch up with his father, the king, to inform him of some business he needed to attend to. He hurriedly strode through the now brightly lit corridors, hoping his father was not already in one of his tedious, long meetings. Having no such luck, Jon was stopped by one of the servants who informed him that the meeting had already begun and that he would have to wait until it was completed to talk to his father . Knowing it would be at least a few hours, he headed for the archery to practice his bow and arrow skills.  
  
When he reached his destination, he observed a bunch of pages surrounding someone, all of them watching in awe. He curiously peered over the top of their heads and smiled when he saw whom it was they were admiring. That fiery redhead, Lady Alanna of Trebond. He stood back, unnoticed, and watched her. She pulled back the string, aimed, and shot. The prince's blue eyes widened, bull's eye. 'How did she get so good?' he questioned.  
  
She again lifted her bow and placed the arrow in the correct position. She aimed, like she had before, and shot. It wasn't quite a bull's eye this time, but it was still very close. Jon grinned as he retrieved his own bow and satchel full of finely sharpened arrows. 'Looks like a competition is about to begin.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Alanna had decided to go take a quick stop at the archery before she headed to breakfast. Concentrating hard on the red circle in the middle of the target, she aimed and let nature take its course. She smiled as it hit dead on. She had to admit, she was getting rather good at this, but still not as talented as she is with her sword. The next shot she took was several inches from the bull's eyes. She gritted her teeth and was about to try again when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around and stared into stunningly, clear blue eyes. "Jon!" she murmured surprised.  
  
"Hello Alanna. How're you this morning?"  
  
"Fine, a bit tired from last night."  
  
"Yeah, me too. How's Faithful?"  
  
"He's still sleeping." Alanna laughed.  
  
Jon grinned, "Cats are nocturnal. I'm not surprised he's still sleeping." He paused; then asked. "I was wondering Alanna. Would you like to accept a challenge?"  
  
Lady Trebond raised her eyebrow. "What kind of challenge?"  
  
"An archery one. See who's more skilled; best out of 10 shots. What do you say?"  
  
"And what does the winner get," Alanna questioned.  
  
"If I win, I get to escort you to the ball tomorrow. If you win, I'll have to. . ." he trailed off unsure.  
  
"You'll have to give me spear lessons." Alanna responded. She heard the prince was skilled at using the spear and wanted to learn.  
  
"Deal." Jon responded and held out his hand to Alanna.  
  
Alanna readily shook his hand and thought to herself, "Either way it's a good deal for me. I wouldn't mind having the prince escort me to the ball tomorrow...."  
  
A/N: Ahhh! Its past midnight! Oh well, its still Friday for some of u ppl out in the west! :) I hope u guyz liked the chapter. Be sure to review and tell me what u think! Till next time...  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	7. Lioness Vs Prince

Yay! Im Baaaaaack! Sorry for keeping yall waiting! I've been outta town and just got back. I had a school orientation thing today, which was so depressing cause school starts in 5 days for me! Blah! Yep...just thought I would complain to yall! :) Thanx to all my readers out there for reading my story and special thanx to the ones that sent me reviews!  
  
Captain Holly Fowl: Ah! I love your screen name(?)!! It's so cool! And I guess this is ASAP since there was no computers at the hotel I was in! Sorry for the wait!  
  
Volley Ball Chika: Lol, twice a wk eh? I prob. wont be able to do that cause of school now (blahness) but I'll try...and now that Joey's gone, you CAN wait by the computer 24/7, until school starts...  
  
Ginny44: Hey! Thanx so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoooooy this chapter!! Woohoo! :)  
  
Little Ra Ra Girl: Lol, I hear u!! It might be A/J...but that's a surprise! Im thinking about introducing George soon. *lifts eyebrows* We'll have to see how that goes!!  
  
Xelena: Delia of Eldorne...hmm, she doesn't have a major major part in this story, but she'll be important later on... :)  
  
Lady Rhian: Yes, the counting Jon's...she's falling for him and she doesn't really know it! And my 2 cats used to sleep on my bed too until they got too big and started to fight on my bed. I kick them off now... :)  
  
LaBella4: How she turned sheep into Jons is beyond me! Lol, I don't think Jon really looks like a sheep...but maybe to Alanna he does, who knows, she's got a mind of her own! :)  
  
Lady Trickster: Lol, thanx! I'll take an 8/10! It means I passed!  
  
Quistis-lm: Aww, that face is cute! :D! Thanx for reading gurl!  
  
Kirika Moonshadow: Im planning on finishing it! Hopefully I wont get side tracked again and update at a steadier pace. And im glad u like it!  
  
miss-mags_ak: Thanx! Now that I updated, u can see if Alanna beats Jon... can jon take the humiliation of losing to a girl? Or can Alanna handle being beaten by the Prince of Tortall?? :D  
  
youa: Hey! Sorry, I was all the way across the country from my computer and didn't get a chance to update! I'll try to get more updates in this month...more than usual hopefully! (I updated SS yesterday! Woohoo!)  
  
Lady Knight: Thank you sooo much! That means lotz to me! :)  
  
NOW FOR THE C-H-A-P-T-E-R!! (oh! Did yall know the longest word in the English dictionary is Antidisestablishmentarianism??? :o)  
  
Ch. 7: Lioness Vs Prince  
  
The prince brushed a trail of sweat away from his brow as he watched Lady Alanna raise her wooden bow steadily and pull back the arrow. She took aim and shot. The arrow soared through the air rapidly and...bulls eye!  
  
Jon groaned and theatrically grabbed his heart, falling over dead. Alanna laughed and stood above him.  
  
"C'mon you! One more shot!"  
  
"You're killing me Alanna! I didn't know what I was getting myself into!"  
  
"Get up you lazy man!"  
  
He looked up at her with a dumb founded look on his face. Alanna stared down at him amused. They stared at each other for a moment before Jon crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue at her.  
  
"NOW!" Alanna giggled.  
  
"Okay, okay! Women are so demanding!" the Prince huffed, pulling himself to his feet. He squared his shoulders. "You are going down, Lady Alanna! If I get a bulls eye, I win and get to escort YOU to the ball!"  
  
"Go ahead oh ye great one. Show me up!" she glanced around and smirked when she saw the young boys leaning eagerly forward watching them excitedly, anticipating the results. "Patience..." Jon trailed off as he gripped his bow with a steady grip. He concentrated hard. He even calculated the wind pressure to be sure he got a bull's eye. He was taking the fiery redhead to the ball if it was the last thing he did!  
  
Alanna watched in enjoyment as the Prince took a comical amount of time to aim the arrow. Her nose began to tickle and her eyes began to water.  
  
'I can do this,' Jon declared to himself. He was sure he got it perfect. He checked one more time to make sure it was aimed correctly and was about to release his arrow when...  
  
"ACHOO!!"  
  
Startled, the prince jerked up, accidentally letting the arrow loose. He watched as it cut through the air missing the target completely. He heard Alanna sniffle behind him and turned around to glare at her.  
  
She looked up innocently. "What? It's not my fault you didn't win!" she stated victoriously. She began to do a little victory dance and shouted into the sky, "I beat the prince! I beat the prince!"  
  
Jonathan of Conte put his hands on his waist. "You cheated!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"You sneezed on purpose and...and made me lose concentration!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did too!"  
  
Alanna stared at him amused, "Aww, poor wittle Jonathon is mad cause he wost to a GIRL!"  
  
"Only because you cheated!" he declared and, without a warning, charged at her.  
  
Alanna shrieked and turned to run. She didn't get very far when she felt firm hands grab her waist and spin her around. She looked up and saw a twinkle in the Prince's blue eyes.  
  
"You'll pay." He snarled and started tickling her.  
  
Squealing, Alanna tried to get away, but ended up tripping and landing on the softly matted grass. After a few moments of giggling and rolling on the lawn, Jon mercifully stopped his battle of tickling and rolled onto his side. He rested his head on top of his arm, staring down at the beautiful redhead. She smiled up at him admiring his brilliant blue eyes.  
  
"You're beautiful," Jon murmured. "Even if you are a cheater."  
  
Alanna grinned slightly and reached up to brush away the strands of grass that were embedded in the Prince's dark, almost black, hair. "Fine, fine, fine. I'll go to the ball with you tomorrow, but you still have to give me lessons."  
  
"Deal," the prince whispered. He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek before standing up. The kiss was so soft that Alanna almost thought she imagined it.  
  
She smiled, standing up as well. "It looks like you got grass stains on your perfectly ironed pants, Prince Jonathon. I never thought I'd live to see the day!"  
  
Jon chuckled. "You look like a little wild girl. You have grass all in your hair, which by the way is sticking in every direction. It kind of reminds me of a Lion's mane!"  
  
She blushed a deep red and reached up to try to fix the tangled mess.  
  
"You could be a Lioness!" the prince declared.  
  
Alanna laughed and looked at him. "You remind me of a pig! You can be a Wart hog!"  
  
He burst out laughing. "Don't make me have to tickle you again!"  
  
"I was just kidding! I kind of like being a Lioness though. A brave, fierce animal...top of the food chain."  
  
"Then you can be my Lioness." The prince chuckled. "Now lets go get some breakfast."  
  
"Yes, me with my wild hair and you with your grass stains. We compliment each other nicely."  
  
The Prince threw back his head in laughter.  
  
A/N: And that's how Alanna became the Lioness...lol. Idk, I just kinda typed whatever came to mind. Anywho, know that you've read, go review please! And while you're at it, go read my new chapter to Silent Stormers that I just wrote yesterday! :)  
  
Till next time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	8. Dancing with Deception

AHH!! My stupid computer's Internet hasn't been working until recently, and when it started working again, I was writing my other story, The Silent Stormers. Sorry about that! HEY! Did yall know that rubber bangs last longer refrigerated? Well, they do! Anywho, thanx to all my readers and hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
The replies are gonna be short today...  
  
Labella4: Thanx bunches! Sorry it took so long!  
  
Genevieve4: Yay! That makes me happy! :)  
  
Mygerbil: Thank you! Im glad u enjoyed it!  
  
Volley Ball Chika: Have fun getting straight A's! I have faith in you. And Frrrrost yourself! Haha, that's great!  
  
Quistis-Im: Thank you! Keep doin good on your stories!  
  
Lady Rhian Knightmage: lol, you can have one of my kitties! I have 5! Well...one of them is my sister's, but oh well! I have like 3 siamese cats. Its funny to see em all together. Glad u liked the other chapter!  
  
Lioness38: Your wish is my command! :)  
  
Alikat: Oooh! Cliffys? Most of my readers don't like em, but im glad you do, cause im kinda known for my cliffys!  
  
sw33t t3mptations: o0o0o!! lol, thank you soo much!  
  
Lady Phoenix Slytherin: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever and a day! Bad me!  
  
Now on to the chapter...  
  
Ch. 8: Dancing with Deception  
  
Lady Alanna of Trebond glanced in the mirror one last time. She still couldn't believe that the young woman in the mirror was her. The maiden's hair looked much too silky and her cheeks too rosy to be her. Alanna turned to her servant girl, Gabrielle, and gave her a big hug. "Much thanks Gabby. Much thanks."  
  
Clearly embarrassed, but secretly pleased, the young servant girl blushed furiously and bowed in retreat leaving with a big smile on her small, pretty face.  
  
Preparations for the ball had taken well over an hour, but yet, the results were stunning. Alanna's red ringlets were piled atop her head, cascading ever so gently with few stray curls framing her petite face. Tiny daisies were positioned in strategic places in her hair giving it a sense of simplicity. Alanna smiled as she thought of how the prince described her as a wild little girl, now she had flowers in her hair! The daisies had matched her beautiful pale yellow, almost beige dress perfectly. Gold trim outlined the outfit complimenting the pale yellowness of it. The full skirt, to Alanna, was fun to move in because of the swooshing sound it made. Alanna wasn't really found of wearing dresses, but even she could admire the quality and beauty of this one.  
  
Minutes ticked on and the Lioness fidgeted with her dress nervously as she waited for Prince Jonathan's arrival. She continued to pull up the neckline of her dress, thinking it was a little too low for her liking, but then again, unless the neckline was nearly to her neck, it was considered too low and made her feel self conscious. She clasped her hands tightly together timidly. "You don't suppose he forgot about me, do you Faithful?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.  
  
The black kitten looked up amused. 'By the way you're acting, one might think this is the first time you've been courted.'  
  
Alanna blushed. "Don't be silly, I've been...well...okay. I admit it! We should announce it to the whole world for them to laugh at me! But seriously Faithful, you don't think he for..."  
  
The young woman received her answer when she was cut off by a gentle knock on her oak wood door. She looked up surprised, a glint of relief and nervousness in her eyes. She walked to the door, stopping briefly with her hand on the gold knob. Before opening it, Alanna breathed in deeply, and straightened her shoulders, preparing herself to meet the prince. She turned the knob and slowly pulled open the door.  
  
There stood a rather handsome young man with shiny black hair and deep blue eyes. When his eyes fell upon the red headed beauty, they filled with tenderness and awe. "You look beautiful Alanna of Trebond," Jon whispered, his voice cracking slightly. He blushed, but did not look away.  
  
Alanna's eyes dropped down to the floor. "Thank you Prince Jonathan."  
  
Jon laughed and ran his hand back through his hair. "So it's back to Prince Jonathan is it?" He grinned impishly.  
  
Suddenly the tension cracked and broke, leaving the young maiden smiling broadly. She slugged Jon lightly on the shoulder, "Oh that's right. I forgot I was calling you Warthog from now on."  
  
Jon chuckled and gallantly offered his arm out to the young lady, who hesitantly entwined her own with his. Together, as one, they walked down the long corridors, towards the grand room, where the ball was being held arguing over whose sword was better.  
  
As they reached the magnificent, gold doors, a servant dutifully opened a door and announced them.  
  
"Presenting Prince Jonathan of Conte, heir to the throne of Tortall." He paused dramatically; then continued. "And his escort, Lady Alanna of Trebond. Daughter of the convent!"  
  
Nobles and ladies turned to view the prince's arrival and many admired the couple. Some ladies turned away with a huff; they were jealous that they were not the ones on the prince's arm that night.  
  
When Alanna walked in, her eyes lit up with delight. Everything was beautiful. The lights were dazzling and made the glasses sparkle, creating a silver appearance. She breathed in the scent of aroma candles and the fresh after-shave of the man beside her. She heard the music of a waltz playing and the voices of those who chattered with their dance partners. She smiled.  
  
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they walked towards the royal King and Queen and stopped in front of them bowing and curtsying. "Milord, Milady." Alanna murmured respectfully looking down politely.  
  
"Mother, father," the Prince started, "This is Alanna of Trebond, daughter of a noble, she is my escort tonight."  
  
King Roald smiled broadly. "It's a privilege to meet you Lady Alanna."  
  
"The pleasure's all mine your grace." Alanna said curtsying again.  
  
Jon bowed and led Alanna away to the side of the room; he turned his head slightly and whispered into her ear. "Who was that back there?" he asked. "You were never that polite to me!"  
  
His breath on her ear made shivers go up the young woman's spine. She laughed hesitantly, not used to the feeling she was having. "Well he IS the king after all Prince Jonathan."  
  
"Oh really. And what am I?" he asked, pretending to be offended.  
  
"A warthog." She stated simply.  
  
Jon groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "Will this name calling ever end?"  
  
Alanna just smiled and gazed out at the dance floor. There were many couples out there, dancing along with the tempo of the music, smiling and laughing.  
  
Jon followed her gaze and glanced back at her. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not very good at it," Alanna whispered, chuckling slightly. "I'm not light on my feet like the other court ladies. Mistress Kindell always yelled at me for that."  
  
"I think your forgetting that I've already danced with you once before and know how dreadful you are. But I'm willing to risk a few toes." He smiled. "Besides, once you find the right partner, dancing will come naturally." And with that, he took Alanna in his arms and twirled her out onto the dance floor.  
  
They talked and laughed, dancing in each other's arms. They spoke of everything; her brother, Faithful, his parents, the Drell wars. They had gotten lost in conversation and were startled when someone tapped Jon politely on the shoulder. It was a tall brown, almost black haired man about the same height as the prince and equally as good looking. His eyes were blue, but not nearly as startling as Jon's.  
  
"May I cut in, cousin?" his deep voice asked.  
  
Jon reluctantly agreed and handed Alanna over to the tall stranger. She glanced one last time at the man who she had just danced with and saw ladies flock to him as he headed over to the refreshment table. She turned back around and felt a stab of jealousy shoot through her, a feeling that was seemed foreign to her.  
  
"Why Lady Alanna, we meet at last." The man said, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
She glanced up surprised. "You know my name?"  
  
"Well of course, dear. Everyone does. You're the new lass that the Prince fancies, but don't worry, it'll pass."  
  
Her face grew red at his words. "He d...doesn't fancy me. I...I just got here!"  
  
"Oh he sees a pretty face and has a little boy's crush on the girl for awhile. The latest ones always excite him. But then that all changes when he sees newer ladies. Then, he'll ditch the poor girl for a newer, prettier one. He's merely having fun and following his lust."  
  
Alanna went silent, her temper flaring up. This man looked charming indeed, but there was something about him that made her defensive and irritated.  
  
"But me on the other hand," the man continued. "I get what I want, I know what I want. I could help people in a second, but could crush them with a mere snap of my finger."  
  
"I don't understand," Alanna said coldly. "Why are you telling me this?"  
  
The man drew her closer. "You are very beautiful Alanna, and I do not want your precious beauty wasted on the prince. He will use you, then discard you at a second's notice."  
  
"He's not like that. And besides, he's merely a friend, sir."  
  
"Sir? Oh where are my manners?" the man said lightly. He pulled back and bowed. "I am Duke Roger, Prince Jonathan's cousin."  
  
She curtsied reluctantly and he pulled her back into a dancing position. There was something about his voice that seemed familiar to Alanna, but she just couldn't quite place it.  
  
"If you are Jon's cousin," she said, "then why do you speak so ill of him."  
  
"I'm just warning you milady, just a simple warning. If you fall in love with him, you will get hurt. Trust me."  
  
She laughed. "I'm not going to fall in love with anybody Roger. I don't plan on marrying."  
  
The dance ended and the duke bowed. "Well that's your choice. And thank you, milady, for gracing me with this dance."  
  
She curtsied. "No thank you." She said somewhat reluctantly.  
  
Alanna turned and walked away from the young man, heading towards the punch bowl. She looked across the room and spotted the Prince smiling and laughing, entertaining all sorts of court ladies. She shook her head and poured herself some punch. It was a vibrant purple and tasted of grapes. The lass watched as someone handed Jon a drink. He took it and thanked the servant politely before turning back to the court ladies.  
  
She sighed and took another sip when something caught her attention. It was his drink. The liquid was a tad darker than hers and had tiny bubbles at the bottom. It was hard to notice, and she wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't of been studying the prince for a minute or two. It reminded her of something. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as though they knew something was amiss.  
  
The prince glanced up and caught Alanna of Trebond watching him. He smiled relieved and waved for her to come over. As she started to walk to where the prince was, it suddenly hit her; she remembered. The Lioness started to run swiftly towards the prince and watched in horror as he slowly brought the cup of violet liquid up to his lips.  
  
"Wait! Don't drink it Jonathon!" she screamed. "Don't drink it! It's poisoned!"  
  
A/N: *Phew!* I finished this chapter! Now I get to post it, and you know what *that* means! That means you get to review! Ooh, lucky you! All ya gotta do is press the go button beside submit a review and tell me what you think! Till next time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~* 


	9. The King of Thieves

Ch. 9: The King of Thieves  
  
Alanna couldn't think. She didn't think. All that was going through her head was the need to save the prince of Tortall. The next couple of seconds seemed to go in slow motion for her, the violet vile kissing the prince's lips, the sparkling goblet turned slightly, and the steady hand slowly allowing the liquid to come closer to its destination. A realization flashed through Alanna's mind. 'I won't be able to make it in time. He's too far away.' But she wouldn't give up, she couldn't.  
  
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, a man in hiding jumped out from behind a fine, turquoise curtain and quickly knocked the poisoned glass out of the Prince's hand. The Lioness watched as the fine china flew into the air, shattering as it struck the expensive, marbled floor, spilling its bitter contents. Everything seemed to freeze, wide eyes turned, shocked. The prince was standing in a puddle of punch, glass surrounding him, too stunned to move.  
  
"It's the King of Thieves!" a booming voice exclaimed, harshly cutting into the silence. "Catch him!"  
  
The rescuer swiftly surveyed his surroundings, plotting an escape. Soldiers quickly poured in from the entrances of the grand room grasping swords and bows in their hands.  
  
"Block the exits! Don't let him escape!"  
  
The clever thief swiftly leaped onto a nearby piano and then jumped quickly, grabbing the ledge of the next level in his hands, pulling himself up and swinging his long, lean legs over the railing. He then pulled out his silver, carefully crafted, sword and gripped the green curtain in his hands, pulling it down.  
  
Arrows suddenly started piercing the air, arising terrified cries as women clung to their suitors. Alanna stood below watching in awe as the mysterious man threw down the curtain, landing on many below, blocking the view of soldiers. The thief aroused surprised gasps and dropped chins as he unexpectedly leaped into the air barely managing to grasp the bottom of the shiny, exquisite chandelier, his body swinging through the air. He released his hold and soared through the air, his sword positioned in front of him. The weapon struck the glass of a nearby window, shattering it. The man flew through the shards of glass out the now open window, permitting his escape. There was a loud splash as his body hit the icy waters of the glistening lake outside.  
  
"GET HIM!" the commander shouted as the soldiers quickly exited in hopes of catching up to the witty thief.  
  
The confusion and panic of the nobles and servants slowly released as the buzzing of their whispers filled the room. Alanna stood mystified staring at the broken window. That man stirred up feelings of curiosity in her. 'Who was he?' She jumped startled as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder and turned quickly.  
  
"Jonathan!"  
  
The prince pulled her in a quick embrace. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. How about you?"  
  
"Just a bit shaken up."  
  
"Prince Jonathan," a young soldier interrupted. "You're going to have to come with us for safety measures."  
  
The prince sighed and nodded in agreement as he grasped Alanna's small hand in his big one, pulling her with him. They quickly walked through the deserted hallways and into a small room where the king, queen, and many other soldiers were residing. They sat down on royal blue chairs, everyone quiet.  
  
A knock interrupted the silence as Sir Gareth of Naxen the senior entered. "It was indeed poisoned. Someone tried to murder the prince." He stated gravely.  
  
The queen let out a cry as she buried her face into her hands. Her husband put his arm around her shaking shoulders, trying to comfort her. Jon gripped Alanna's hand painfully tight, his knuckles turning white.  
  
"And the man?" the King questioned.  
  
"Escaped without a trace."  
  
"He...He tried to poison my son!" the queen hiccupped.  
  
Jon glanced up in surprise. "No Mother, he saved me! If it weren't for him, I'd be dead!"  
  
"Your mother's right Prince Jonathan. We have reason to believe that the King of Thieves planted poison into your cup."  
  
"What?!" Alanna exclaimed without thinking. "Then why'd he save him? How dense could you be? Maybe you should inspect other people that are more likely to have done it, like maybe your dear Ro-"  
  
She was cut off harshly, "Lady Alanna, it would be best if you hold your tongue or we will have to escort you out."  
  
"You don't have to, I'm sure I can find my way out." She retorted, her temper flaring to life. Alanna turned to the prince, her face softening. "Thank you for escorting me to the ball tonight your highness." Her eyes held his for a moment; then faced the King and Queen. "Milord, milady," she whispered, showing respect, curtsying. With that she spun around and exited the room, her dress swooshing behind her.  
  
Lady Trebond walked through the quiet corridors, trying to shake the accusation that this conspiracy had to do with Roger. Her dislike for him, though only conversing with him once, made her distrust him more than ever. She knew one thing for certain though, the man in that room two nights ago had to be involved in this. He just had to be.  
  
She pulled out her golden key and slipped it through the knob, opening the door. It was dark and she could hardly see as she placed her belongings on the bed. Alanna sat down tiredly and pulled off her tight shoes freeing her small feet and released the clip in her hair, causing her copper curls to cascade gently, encircling her shoulders.  
  
The Lioness stiffened as she felt someone watching her. She spun around hastily and there, sitting on her window ledge under the moonlight, was a man with auburn hair shifting with the wind, a slightly large, crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken various times, and warm, dancing hazel eyes. She froze.  
  
"You...You're..."  
  
The man's eyes lit up amused watching her fight for words. "The King of Thieves," he said, opening his arms as if to present himself. "At your service milady."  
  
A/N: Review please!! I value your opinions! :)  
  
Till Next Time,  
  
*~*SportzGurl*~*  
  
PS: If you want to be on my update list, give me your email address in your review! Thanks! 


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